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Sergio Agüero

Sergio Leonel Agüero (Spanish pronunciation: ; born 2 June 1988) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester City and the Argentine national team. Agüero began his career at Independiente. On 5 July 2003, he became the youngest player to play in the Argentine Primera División on his debut at 15 years and 35 days, breaking the record previously established by Diego Maradona in 1976. In 2006, he moved to Europe to play for La Liga side Atlético Madrid, for a transfer fee of €23 million and made a name for himself, attracting attention from Europe's top clubs by scoring 101 goals in 234 appearances while winning the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup in 2010.

Agüero moved to Premier League club Manchester City in July 2011 for an undisclosed fee thought to be in the region of £35 million. On the last day of his debut season with the club, he scored a 94th-minute winner against Queens Park Rangers that earned City its first league title in 44 years. At the end of the 2015–16 season, of players who had played at least two seasons in the Premier League, Agüero had the highest goals per minute ratio in the history of the competition since its formation in 1992, averaging a goal every 106 minutes, ahead of Thierry Henry.[5] He also holds the joint-record for the most goals scored in a single Premier League match – five – and the fastest to do so, in 23 minutes and 34 seconds of match time.[6] In November 2017, Agüero became Manchester City's all-time highest goal-scorer, scoring his 178th City goal against Napoli.[7] Agüero is currently the 8th highest goalscorer in Premier League history, and the highest non-European scorer in the history of the Premier League, with over 100 goals in the division.

During the 2005–06 season, Agüero scored 18 goals in 36 league appearances, having missed two games due to suspension. In a 4–0 win against Racing on 11 September, he dribbled from inside of his own half and scored Independiente's fourth goal with a left footed shot.[17][18] His first red card came in the Torneo Apertura, after slapping an opponent in a match against Tiro Federal.[19] His outstanding performances during the Torneo Apertura attracted interest from a number of large European clubs, and, after months of speculation, Agüero announced on TV in April that he intended to leave the club at the end of the season. Before the end of the season, there had already been speculation of a possible transfer to Atlético Madrid.[17] With his performances being lauded by the press, there was talk of a possible call up for Agüero for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.[20][21][22] In a 2–0 away victory against Olimpo de Bahia Blanca in round 17 of the Torneo Clausura, Agüero received his fifth yellow card of the season. This prevented him from playing his last game for Independiente in a fixture against Boca Juniors in Avellaneda one week later. The yellow card brought tears to his eyes, as television cameras recorded.[23] Agüero, who scored Independiente's second goal of the match later said "I think that it was my last goal for Independiente". He played his last game for Independiente, two weeks later, in a 2–0 away defeat to Rosario Central.[24] On 30 May, Agüero officially transferred to Atlético Madrid for €20 million, marking a record for the club.[25]

Atlético Madrid

2006–07 season

Agüero playing for Atlético Madrid in October 2007.

In May 2006, Agüero joined Spanish club Atlético Madrid for a fee reported to be around €20 million, breaking the club's previous transfer record.[26][27] He caused controversy early in his Atlético career by using his hands to score the winning goal against Recreativo de Huelva on 14 October 2006, only his second goal for the club, with the first coming in a 4–1 away win against Athletic Bilbao on 17 September.[28] He ended his first season in Madrid with seven goals in all competitions, eased into European football by manager Javier Aguirre, who opted to bring him in and out of the line-up as Atlético finished seventh, enough to qualify for the UEFA Intertoto Cup.

2008–09 season

Agüero was once again a regular goalscorer for Atlético in the 2008–09 season, continuing to establish a lethal partnership with Uruguayan striker Diego Forlán, also a former Independiente player. On 16 September, he scored his first Champions League goals in a 3–0 away win at PSV, helping Atlético eventually reach the last 16 of the competition.[33] In March 2009, the duo of Forlán and Agüero scored a brace each in a 4–3 win over league leaders Barcelona, the latter scoring the winning goal in the final minutes of the match.[34] With the help of more vital goals in a formidable end of the season run-in from his team, Agüero finished in the top ten contenders for the Pichichi Trophy, which was won by his teammate Forlán.[35] Atlético finished fourth in the league, qualifying for the following season's Champions League.

2009–10 season

Despite not being as prolific in front of goal, Agüero had another good season in 2009–10, and was praised for his influential performances as Atlético enjoyed their most successful season in over a decade.[36] On 3 November 2009, he scored twice against Chelsea during a 2–2 draw in the Champions League at the Vicente Calderón. Atlético were knocked out of the competition, but went on to reach the final of the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League, where Agüero assisted both goals in a 2–1 extra time win against English club Fulham.[37] He also helped Atlético reach the final of the Copa del Rey, although this time they were not victorious, losing to Sevilla in the Camp Nou on 19 May.[38]

On 27 August 2010, Atlético Madrid captured the UEFA Super Cup by beating favorites Internazionale 2–0. Agüero provided the assist for José Antonio Reyes' opening goal and then secured the win by scoring the second.[39] On 4 January 2011, Atlético Madrid confirmed via their official website that Agüero had signed a new contract with the club, keeping him at the Vicente Calderón until 2014.[40] The following day, he was named as the new vice-captain of Atlético, along with strike partner Diego Forlán.[41]

2010–11 season

The 2010–11 season was arguably Agüero's most successful for Atlético, as he scored 20 league goals for the first time in his career. Between March and May 2011, he went on a run of seven consecutive goalscoring appearances, a feat that no other player in Europe could match during the season.[42] Agüero's final outing for Atlético came on 21 May against Mallorca, a game in which he reached two milestones. In a 4–3 win, he scored his first career hat-trick, the second goal being his 100th for the Colchoneros.[43] Failure to celebrate any of the goals, however, led to speculation that he would be on his way out of the club.

On 23 May 2011, Agüero announced on his official website that he wanted to move from Atlético and formally asked to be released from his contract.[44][45] Agüero later spoke to ESPN, where he stated that he would "not be returning to Atlético".[46] On the same day that Agüero officially became a Manchester City player, Atlético hosted a 2011–12 Europa League qualifier against Strømsgodset IF, where a group of Atlético fans brandished "Agüero, We Hope You Die" banners in a reaction to the striker's transfer to City at the Vicente Calderón on 28 July 2011, after he had previously stated his desire to see out his contract with the club just weeks before requesting a transfer.[47] Upon his departure, Atlético used the money from Agüero's sale to buy Radamel Falcao as his replacement.[48]

Manchester City

2011–12 season

On 28 July 2011, Manchester City confirmed that Agüero had signed a five-year contract with the club. The fee was reported to be in the region of £35 million.[49][50][51] He was given the number 16 shirt for his first season at City and wears the shirt name Kun Agüero. He was an unused substitute in the Dublin Super Cup match against Internazionale and the 2011 FA Community Shield against Manchester United with manager Roberto Mancini believing Agüero was not yet fit.[52] Agüero made his debut for City on 15 August 2011 in a 4–0 Premier League victory over Swansea City. Agüero came on as a substitute in the 59th minute, scoring his first goal for the club within nine minutes after a tap-in from a cross from full back Micah Richards. He then turned provider with an assist after chipping over the oncoming goalkeeper before flicking the ball back into the penalty box and into the path of David Silva to score. Agüero rounded off his debut by scoring again in injury time with a 30-yard strike. His 30-minute debut gained rave reviews among football journalists, with some suggesting it was one of the best in English football.[53][54]

City continued their strong start, winning 3–2 away at Bolton Wanderers with Agüero missing two chances in the penalty box.[55] On 28 August, Agüero scored his third league goal in Manchester City's 5–1 rout of Tottenham Hotspur.[56] On his third start for the club, he scored his first Premier League hat-trick, against Wigan Athletic.[57] On 18 September, he scored twice at Craven Cottage against Fulham, but City were held to a 2–2 draw.[58] Having been substituted after just 28 minutes due to an injury during a 4–0 win against Blackburn Rovers on 1 October, Agüero returned to action in a 2011–12 UEFA Champions League group stage fixture, where he came on for Nigel de Jong on 62 minutes and scored a 93rd-minute winner in his side's 2–1 victory against Villarreal on 18 October.[59][60] On 23 October, Agüero took part in his first Manchester derby, scoring in the 69th minute as he converted a Micah Richards pass across the face of goal. The match finished 6–1 to City.[61] On 1 November, Agüero was shortlisted for the prestigious FIFA Ballon d'Or. On 19 November, he scored a penalty in a 3–1 win at home to Newcastle United, ending Newcastle's unbeaten start to the season.[62]

Agüero (right) and Samir Nasri parade the Premier League trophy, May 2012.

Agüero made his League Cup debut in the quarter final match against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, scoring the only goal of the game in the 83rd minute from an Adam Johnson through-ball.[63] His next goal came in a 5–1 home win against Norwich City, opening the scoring in the 32nd minute, giving him his 13th goal of the season and maintaining the team's 100% league record at home.[64] On 21 December, he scored a brace as City beat Stoke City 3–0 at home.[65] On 3 January 2012, he opened the scoring in a 3–0 win at home to Liverpool, beating Pepe Reina with a low shot.[66] Agüero scored his 15th goal on 4 February, scoring a penalty against Fulham in a 3–0 win at a snow-covered City of Manchester Stadium.

During the first-leg of a Europa League round of 32 match against Porto, Agüero entered the field in the 78th minute for Mario Balotelli and scored the match-winning goal, and his first Europa League goal for Manchester City, in the 85th minute.[67] The game ended 2–1, and, in the second-leg, Agüero scored within 19 seconds in a 4–0 win on 22 February. Manchester City advanced to the last 16 of the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League, having won 6–1 on aggregate. On 25 February, Agüero scored his 16th league goal in a 3–0 win against Blackburn.[68][69] During the second-leg of Manchester City's Round of 16 Europa League fixture against Sporting CP on 15 March, Agüero netted a double to help City claim a 3–2 win, having been trailing 2–0 at half-time, to level the scores at 3–3 on aggregate. Sporting CP won on away goals, as they defeated Manchester City 1–0 in the first-leg on 8 March.[70] One week later, Agüero scored his 17th league goal in 2–1 win against Chelsea on 21 March.[71] On 29 March, Agüero was ruled out for 10 days to two weeks due to a foot problem, which was later diagnosed as a reaction to a substance that blistered his foot.[72][73][74]

On 11 April, Agüero scored two goals for himself and also set up another two goals (for David Silva and Carlos Tevez) in a 4–0 home victory against West Bromwich Albion.[75] On 14 April, Agüero scored a double in a 6–1 away win against Norwich City, his two goals meaning that he had surpassed 20 league goals in the Premier League.[76] He scored one goal in the next match, in which Manchester City beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–0.[77] On 4 May, Agüero was named Manchester City Player of The Year. His first goal in the 6–1 away win against Norwich also won him the club's Goal of the Season award.[78]

Final game of the season

"In my career so far it's the most important goal. You score the goal in the last minute to win the title. You're not sure if that's ever going to happen in your career again. I wish I could tell you how I did it but I can't. I thought for all the world that Mario [Balotelli] was going to have a go himself but he just moved it on one more and it fell at my feet and I just thought: 'Hit the target, hit it as hard as you can and hit the target.' And it went in."

Sergio Agüero, on his last-minute goal against Queens Park Rangers in 2012 which won the Premier League for City.[79]

Five straight wins helped City wipe out the eight-point deficit against United, and they went into the final day's fixtures leading on goal difference. Facing relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers, City needed to match or better United's result at Sunderland. By the 66th minute, QPR's Joey Barton was sent off after elbowing Agüero's teammate, Carlos Tevez in the face. Eventually after being shown the red card, Barton proceeded to kick Agüero's knee, then attempted to attack Vincent Kompany, only for him to be held back by Micah Richards. Despite that, QPR still went ahead 2–1 against City, while United were 1–0 up against Sunderland. In response, manager Roberto Mancini sent on strikers Edin Džeko and Mario Balotelli in an attempt to get the two goals City now needed for the title. Five minutes of injury time began for City with their and United's match scores still constant. Džeko equalised for City for a glimmer of hope, but United soon finished their own game with a victory. In the 94th minute, Agüero, receiving the ball from Balotelli, drove into the penalty area and placed a powerful low shot into the corner of the goal, clinching the win and the title for Manchester City.[80] Agüero's goal sent the City of Manchester Stadium into a frenzy and he was dragged to the floor jubilantly by his City teammates. Vincent Kompany recalled that Agüero was crying on the floor,[81] and when asked if he cried during the Manchester City parade the following day, Agüero stated: "Yeah, a little".[82]

2012–13 season

Agüero started the 2012–13 season in the 2012 FA Community Shield against Chelsea at Villa Park as Manchester City won 3–2.[83] In Manchester City's first league match, Agüero had to be stretchered off in the 13th minute of their home game against Southampton due to a knee injury.[84] Agüero was an unused substitute in City's 3–2 defeat to Real Madrid on 18 September 2012. Following the match, Agüero said he would have joined Real Madrid had they made an offer for him in 2011 but was left with "no option but to join City".[85] Agüero made his return in a 1–1 home draw against Arsenal in the Premier League and went on to score his first goal of the season against Fulham on 29 September in a 2–1 away win in the Premier League.[86][87] He followed this up with another goal the following weekend against Sunderland in a 3–0 home win.[88] His next league goal came in a 2–1 win at home against Tottenham on 11 November.[89] He followed this up with another two goals the following weekend against Aston Villa in a 5–0 win at home.[90] Agüero also scored in back-to-back games in the Champions League in successive draws at home to Ajax and Real Madrid.[91][92] He scored his next goal on 15 December, where he scored the opening goal, as Manchester City won 3–1 away against Newcastle.[93] Agüero then scored against Norwich City on 29 December in a 4–3 away win.[94] In his next match on 2 January, after scoring a penalty in the 73rd minute, Agüero damaged his hamstring during a 3–0 victory over Stoke.[95]

Agüero made his return for Manchester City on 19 January after coming on as an 81st-minute substitute in a 2–0 victory against Fulham.[96] On 3 February, Agüero scored the equaliser after beating Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina in a race to the ball out near the right corner flag.[97] On 17 February, Agüero helped Manchester City to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup as he scored twice in a 4–0 win at home to Leeds United.[98] He sustained a knee injury in the 2–0 win over Chelsea on 24 February.[99] This eventually led to him missing the Argentina squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Venezuela and Bolivia.[100] Agüero made his return for Manchester City on 30 March after coming on as a substitute with warm reception in a 4–0 victory against Newcastle.[101]

On 8 April, Agüero scored a solo goal to give City the win in the Manchester derby in the 78th minute, seven minutes after coming on as a substitute for Samir Nasri.[102] Agüero then scored a header to help Manchester City defeat Chelsea on 14 April in the FA Cup semi-final and reach the final.[103] In the 82nd-minute of the tie, Agüero made a two-footed tackle on David Luiz after the defender had previously appeared to tackle him.[104] Despite the incident warranting a red card at the time, the FA announced Agüero would not be punished following confirmation that referee Chris Foy had at least seen part of the incident and acted on it during the match. Many people disagreed with this decision and felt that the FA had failed to act.[105] On 17 April, Agüero revealed that he had apologised to David Luiz for his rash challenge on the defender.[106] Agüero withdrew as a precaution at half-time on 17 April in Manchester City's 1–0 home victory over Wigan after feeling tightness in a hamstring, but he appeared as an unused substitute in City's 3–1 away loss at White Hart Lane against Tottenham on 21 April.[107] He scored his next goal on 27 April, where he scored the opening goal, as Manchester City won 2–1 home against West Ham United.[108] On 11 May, Agüero started for Manchester City in the 2013 FA Cup Final, where the team lost 1–0 to Wigan. Agüero scored his final goal of the season in a 2–0 away win against Reading on 14 May.[109]

The Times reported that he was the main transfer target of Spanish giants Real Madrid,[110] but Agüero responded by saying, "I'm very happy at City and I feel appreciated and loved here which means a lot to me."[111] Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano also negated the idea of a transfer, insisting Agüero would stay at the City of Manchester Stadium.[112][113] However, former Argentina international Diego Maradona backed him to join Real Madrid, believing Agüero's presence in the Madrid team could help get even more out of Cristiano Ronaldo.[114] On 25 May 2013, Agüero signed a one-year extension to his contract, keeping him at Manchester City until 2017.[115][116] Agüero stated his commitment to Manchester City on 28 May 2013, saying, "I'm committed to Manchester City, it's a great club."[117]

2013–14 season

Following a knee injury that ruled him out of all of the club's pre-season games,[118] Agüero scored in City's 4–0 victory over Newcastle United in the opening game of the 2013–14 Premier League season.[119] On 22 September 2013, he scored a brace in a 4–1 home win against Manchester United.[120]

On 24 November, after scoring his ninth and tenth goals of the league season in a 6–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur, Agüero overtook Thierry Henry as the player with the highest goals-per-minute ratio in Premier League history.[122] He also scored six goals in five matches in the Champions League group stage as Manchester City qualified for the knockout phase for the first time.

On 14 December 2013, Agüero was substituted in a 6–3 win against Arsenal due to a calf injury[123] and missed eight matches.[124] On 16 January 2014, he returned from injury in an FA Cup third-round replay against Blackburn Rovers, scoring after coming on as a substitute in the 5–0 win.[125] In the next round of the competition, he scored his first hat-trick of the season in a 4–2 victory over Watford. On 29 January, he scored his 50th Premier League goal in a 5–1 victory at Tottenham but was substituted with a hamstring injury.[126][127]

On 2 March 2014, Agüero returned to the Manchester City team for the 2014 Football League Cup Final, where the team beat Sunderland 3–1 at Wembley Stadium.[128] In his third appearance since returning from the hamstring problem, Agüero suffered a recurrence of the injury and was withdrawn at half-time in a 2–1 Champions League loss at Camp Nou against Barcelona.[129] He missed the team's next five Premier League matches, before returning to the starting line-up in a 3–2 loss against Liverpool at Anfield on 13 April.[130]

On 21 April 2014, Agüero scored his first goal since January in a 3–1 defeat of West Bromwich Albion at the City of Manchester Stadium.[131] After scoring his final goal of the season in a 3–2 win over Everton at Goodison Park on 3 May, Agüero started for Manchester City against West Ham as the team secured its second Premier League title in three seasons with a 2–0 win.[132]

2014–15 season

On 14 August 2014, Agüero signed a new five-year contract to keep him at Manchester City until 2019.[133]

Agüero scored his first goal of 2014–15 while appearing as an 83rd-minute substitute for Edin Džeko in City's opening match of the Premier League season against Newcastle on 17 August.[134] Due to his late return from the World Cup, Agüero was again used as a substitute in the second game of the season against Liverpool, but, after replacing Džeko, took just 23 seconds to score City's third goal in the 3–1 win.[135]

On 18 October 2014, he scored all four of City's goals in a 4–1 home win over Tottenham, two of which were penalties; he took another penalty in the match, but it was saved by Hugo Lloris. This took Agüero to 61 Premier League goals for the club, surpassing Carlos Tevez as the club's record scorer in the competition.[136] He was the first player in the season to reach ten Premier League goals, doing so with the only goal in the Manchester derby on 2 November.[137]

Aguero is every bit as important to them as Luis Suárez was to Liverpool last year or Gareth Bale to Tottenham Hotspur the year before.

Agüero sustained a knee injury in the second minute of Manchester City's 1–0 win over Everton on 6 December[144] and was unable to appear again for the remainder of 2014. He returned to City's matchday squad for the return fixture with Everton at Goodison Park on 10 January 2015[145] and appeared as a 67th-minute substitute in the 1–1 draw.[146] On 11 February, Agüero scored his first two goals of 2015 in a 4–1 win at Stoke City.[147] On 21 February 72 seconds into a match against Newcastle United, Agüero scored the fastest penalty kick in the Premier League since 1994.[148][149]

On 12 April, Agüero scored twice in a 4–2 Manchester derby loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford. His second goal of the match took him to 100 goals for Manchester City in all competitions.[150] On 19 April, he scored his 20th Premier League goal of the season in a 2–0 home win against West Ham United.[151] He passed 30 goals for the season with a hat-trick in a 6–0 win over Queens Park Rangers at the City of Manchester Stadium on 9 May, relegating the opponents.[152] On 24 May, in Manchester City's final match of the season against Southampton, Agüero scored his 26th league goal of the season, ending 2014–15 with the Premier League Golden Boot.[153]

2015–16 season

On 7 August 2015, Agüero announced he would be switching from his number 16 shirt to the number 10 shirt, previously worn by teammate Edin Džeko.[154] Nine days later, he opened the scoring in a 3–0 home victory over reigning champions Chelsea.[155]

During City's 2–0 victory away at Everton on 23 August, Agüero halted the game after noticing that an Everton supporter was in need of emergency treatment. The striker alerted the referee and the other players and made sure that the man received attention from the medics.[156] On 30 September, Agüero earned and converted a last-minute penalty to give City a 2–1 win at Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Champions League group stage.[157]

On 3 October, Agüero scored five goals against Newcastle in a 6–1 comeback win, joining Andy Cole, Alan Shearer, Jermain Defoe and Dimitar Berbatov in scoring as many in a Premier League game.[158] His five goals within 23 minutes of game time made it the fastest five-goal haul since the Premier League started in 1992.[159] Four minutes after scoring his fifth goal in the 62nd minute, Agüero was substituted by manager Manuel Pellegrini, as he had been receiving treatment due to a leg injury at half time.[160]

On 8 October, in a 2018 World Cup qualifying match against Ecuador, Agüero sustained a hamstring injury early on and was carried off the pitch in tears. Agüero himself said he expected to be out for around four weeks (in which the derby against Manchester United was to be played), although several media outlets later claimed the injury would last for eight weeks.[161][162] He returned on 21 November, scoring in a 1–4 home loss to Liverpool; this was his 85th Premier League goal, making him the top-scoring South American of all time in the division, ahead of his compatriot and former strike partner Carlos Tevez.[163]

On 16 April 2016, Agüero scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 win at Chelsea, ending with a penalty kick. He became the third visiting player to score a Premier League hat-trick at Stamford Bridge, and the fifth player to have three 20-goal seasons in the division.[164] Three days later, he scored his 100th Premier League goal in a 1–1 draw at Newcastle. He reached the century in 147 games, second only to Alan Shearer who did so in 124.[165] The goal was also Agüero's sixth against Newcastle for the season, making his just the sixth player in the Premier League era to have scored six goals against the same club in a single campaign.[166]

2016–17 season

On 13 August 2016, Agüero scored Manchester City's first competitive goal under the management of Pep Guardiola in a 2–1 victory against Sunderland on the opening day of the 2016–17 Premier League season.[169]

In a league match against West Ham on 28 August, Agüero struck opponent Winston Reid in the throat with his arm, an incident which went unpunished by the referee. Reid lost his voice with the strike, and had to be substituted. The FA gave Agüero a three-match ban for violent conduct, accusing him of behaving in an "aggressive manner that was excessive in force and brutal".[170]

On 5 November 2016, Agüero scored his 150th goal for Manchester City in a 1–1 draw against Middlesbrough in the league.[171] Agüero was sent off in a 1–3 loss to Chelsea on 3 December for a tackle on David Luiz and was given a four-match suspension.[172]

"He's a legend, and it's a part of history in the club. Aguero's numbers speak for themselves – he is amazing."

2017–18 season

Having scored on Manchester City's opening fixture of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion on 12 August,[174] Agüero scored his second goal of the season against Liverpool in a 5–0 win on 9 September. This was his 124th Premier League goal, and saw him overtake Trinidadian Dwight Yorke as the top-scoring non-European in the competition's history.[175] One week later, Agüero scored his sixth Premier League hat-trick in a 6–0 win at Watford to put Manchester City top of the league. On 28 September, Agüero was involved in a road accident after attending a Maluma concert in Amsterdam, when his taxi crashed into a lamppost. He was left with a fractured rib and ruled out for two weeks.[176][177]

On 21 October, Agüero scored his 177th goal for Manchester City in a 3–0 win over Burnley, equalling the record set by Eric Brook. This was also the Citizens 11th straight win, equalling another club record.[178] He scored his record 178th goal for the team on 1 November away at Napoli in a Champions League group game, a 4–2 win that sent his team through to the knockout stages of the competition.[179]

On 20 January, Agüero scored his second hat-trick of the season against Newcastle in a 3–1 win, his second goal being the landmark 350th goal of his career.[180] He was later awarded the Premier League Player of the Month for January, claiming the award for the fifth time in his career.[181]

2018–19 season

In City's first game of the season, Agüero scored both goals in the 2–0 2018 FA Community Shield victory over Chelsea, the first goal being his 200th for the club.[184] On 19 August 2018, Agüero scored his 9th Premier League hat-trick in a 6–1 home victory against Huddersfield Town, putting him behind only Alan Shearer's 11.[185] He also leapfrogged Robin van Persie to enter the league's top ten scorers of all time, and second place in foreign Premier League scorers only to Thierry Henry's 175.[186] Agüero hit the post twice in a 1–1 away draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers.[187] On 21 September, Manchester City confirmed via their official website that Agüero had signed a new contract with the club, keeping him at the Etihad Stadium until 2021.[188] On 22 September, in his 300th appearance for Manchester City, Agüero scored the opening goal in an eventual 5–0 away win over Cardiff City.[189] On 4 November, Agüero scored his 150th Premier League goal in a 6–1 home win over Southampton, which was his 217th Premier League appearance; he became only the ninth player in history to achieve this landmark, and only the third player after Thierry Henry and Wayne Rooney to manage this tally with a single side. He was also the second-fastest player to reach this milestone, after Alan Shearer, who took five fewer appearances.[190][191] On 11 November, Agüero scored the second goal in a 3–1 win against Manchester United, making him the joint highest scorer in Manchester derbies in the Premier League era, level with Wayne Rooney).[192] On 29 January 2019, Agüero scored within 24 seconds in an eventual 2–1 defeat at Newcastle United.[193] On 3 February, Agüero scored a hat-trick against rivals Arsenal, including one goal within 48 seconds, bringing his Premier League tally of hat-tricks to ten, in a 3–1 win at the Etihad Stadium.[194] On 10 February, Agüero scored his 11th hat-trick in the Premier League, as Manchester City defeated rivals Chelsea 6–0 at home;[195] with this feat, he equalled Alan Shearer's record of 11 in the competition.[196] The hat trick also saw Agüero overtake Tommy Johnson's and Eric Brook's record of 158 league goals for the club, and set a new record of 160 goals.[197]

International career

Youth teams

Agüero was selected for the Argentina U17 team to participate at the 2004 U-16 South American Championship in Paraguay in September. He participated in all of Argentina's group stage matches, scoring in a 2–1 win against the United States and a 3–1 win against Ecuador to help Argentina finish top of their group. Agüero scored in the 47th minute of Argentina's 1–0 quarter-final victory against Peru, setting up a semi-final match against Colombia which Argentina lost 2–0.

Agüero represented Argentina at two FIFA World Youth Championships, winning back-to-back world titles. He was part of the team that won the 2005 edition in the Netherlands, alongside his future 2008 Olympics squad teammates Fernando Gago and Lionel Messi. At the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, held in Canada, Agüero scored twice and helped set up three goals in a 6–0 win over Panama in the second game of the group stage of the tournament. He then scored the only goal in Argentina's third match against North Korea from a free kick. Having qualified to the round of 16, he scored two of the three goals against Poland that would eventually give them a 3–1 win to advance to the next round. Argentina defeated Mexico in the quarter-finals and Chile in the semi-finals, and faced the Czech Republic in the finals, a team they drew 0–0 in the group stage. Agüero captained and scored the equaliser in the 62nd minute, leading to a 2–1 victory. In addition, Agüero won the Golden Boot of the tournament, scoring six goals in seven, and the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament.

As a member of the Argentine squad for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Agüero scored two goals in the space of five minutes in the semi-final 3–0 win over Brazil on 19 August 2008.[198] Argentina went on to win its second consecutive gold medal at the Olympic tournament.

Agüero was named in the 23-man squad for the 2011 Copa América where Argentina had been drawn into Group A with Bolivia, Colombia, and Costa Rica. On 1 July, in Argentina's opening group stage match against Bolivia, he came on for Ezequiel Lavezzi on 71 minutes and scored an equaliser on 76 minutes to secure a 1–1 draw.[200][201][202] On 11 July, in Argentina's third group stage match against Costa Rica, Agüero scored a goal in each half as Argentina won 3–0 and finished in second position in their group.[203]

Agüero was named in the Argentine squad for the 2015 Copa América, and in a warm-up game on 7 June against Bolivia in San Juan, he scored his first international hat-trick in a 5–0 victory.[206] On 13 June, he scored Argentina's opening goal of the tournament in a 2–2 group stage draw with Paraguay.[207] Three days later at the same ground, he headed a cross from Manchester City teammate Pablo Zabaleta for a 1–0 win against holders Uruguay.[208] At the semi-final stage, Agüero headed in Ángel Di María's cross as Argentina defeated Paraguay 6–1 to reach the 2015 Copa América Final.[209] Agüero started the final against Chile, but was replaced in the 74th minute for Gonzalo Higuaín in an eventual penalty shootout loss.[210]

Agüero was included in Gerardo Martino's 23-man squad for the Copa América Centenario and scored his first goal of the tournament in Argentina's second group match, a 5–0 win over Panama on 10 June 2016, which allowed them to advance to the quarter-finals of the competition.[211] Agüero considered retiring from international football shortly after losing against Chile in a penalty shootout in the final of the tournament for a second consecutive time.[212]

2018 World Cup

On 14 November 2017, Agüero was taken to hospital after fainting in the dressing room at half-time in a 4–2 loss to Nigeria in a friendly match in Krasnodar, Russia.[213]

In May 2018, Agüero was named in Argentina's preliminary 35-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia;[214] later that month, he was included in Jorge Sampaoli's final 23-man squad for the competition.[215] In his team's first group match of the tournament against Iceland on 16 June, he scored the opening goal of an eventual 1–1 draw; this was his first ever World Cup goal.[216] In the round of 16 match against France on 30 June, Agüero scored Argentina's final goal in a 4–3 defeat, which saw his side eliminated from the World Cup.[217]

Style of play

Often considered to be one of the best strikers in the world,[219] Agüero is regarded as an all-out centre forward,[220] but can also play as a second striker off another striker, which he often did at Atlético Madrid with Diego Forlán,[221] due to his passing ability, tactical intelligence, and vision, which made him a capable assist-man.[222] When asked to name the players who influenced his playing style, Agüero named former Brazilian striker Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Diego Maradona as the best players to have played the game, but said that the player who influenced his style of play the most was “the Brazilian Ronaldo”.[223] Aguero has a diminutive figure with a stocky build, which has led to comparisons with former Manchester City teammate Carlos Tevez[224] and past forwards such as Romário,[218]Del Piero,[222] and Diego Maradona.[225][226] When both were on the same team, some pundits called Agüero Tevez's heir apparent at City[227] and others said that he was superior to his compatriot.[228] His ex-manager at Manchester City, Roberto Mancini, has compared Agüero to former Brazilian striker, Romário, due to his pace, goalscoring ability, positioning in the area, and technique.[218] Although naturally right footed, Agüero is also capable of striking well with his left foot, and can finish well both inside and outside the area with his powerful and accurate shot.[222][225]

A prolific goalscorer, Agüero's playing style is characterised by agility, acceleration and strength, being described as "sharp and clever" by former Argentine player Osvaldo Ardiles;[229] a view which is shared by his international captain Lionel Messi, who believes Agüero possesses "immense power, strength and an incredible work ethic."[230] Combined with his close control, quick feet, dribbling skills, and strength to keep the ball, he has been described as "a menace in the box".[221][225] Despite his ability, Agüero's playing time has often been limited by injuries throughout his career.[225] Aguero‘s regular goal celebration features in the FIFA video game FIFA 17.[231]

Personal life

Agüero was married to Gianinna Maradona, the youngest daughter of Argentine footballer Diego Maradona. On 19 February 2009, Gianinna gave birth to their son, Benjamín, in Madrid. Diego Maradona was there for the birth of his first grandson, while Agüero, then 20, missed Atlético's training session earlier in the day. Atlético offered their congratulations in a statement on their official website.[232] Agüero and Gianinna separated in 2012 after four years together.[233]

Agüero's nickname "Kun", which features on his shirt, dates back to his childhood. It was first given to him by his grandparents,[234] due to a resemblance to the character "Kum-Kum" from the anime Wanpaku Omukashi Kumu Kumu which was Agüero's favourite television programme as a child.[235] He stated, "I have grown to appreciate it because it's unique. It's not every day an athlete is nicknamed after a cartoon character!"[235] Agüero has a tattoo on the inside of his right arm inscribed in Tengwar—a form of writing invented by J. R. R. Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings—that transliterates roughly to Kun Agüero in the Latin script. He also has a tattoo on his left arm of his son's name and date of birth.[236] Agüero holds Spanish nationality, after being granted citizenship in 2010 whilst playing for Atlético Madrid.[237]

Agüero shares a close friendship with Lionel Messi, his regular roommate during outings for the national team since 2005. He described Messi as being "like a brother" in his 2014 autobiography, Born to Rise, which contains a foreword written by Messi.[238] Messi is the godfather of Aguero's son Benjamin.[239]

↑ "Top 20 greatest football debuts". Eurosport. 16 August 2011. Sergio Aguero's stunning first outing for Manchester City on Monday night – in which he scored two goals and set up another – is undoubtedly one of the best Premier League debuts ever seen.